The Devil Inside
by Vice or Virtue
Summary: The imagination is much more powerful than what we believe. OC
1. Prologue

_**There is no need to cry anymore, little one. I shall help you.**_

Sniffling, the little girl looked up from where her head had been buried in her arms, blue eyes still leaking hot tears on the ground.

"W-what?" she asked, in a voice that reeked of a child's naivety.

_**Your tears are useless now, little one. I'm here to take care of you.**_

The child looked around her small room in all directions, before realizing the figure's general standing place.

_**Now, tell me what's bothering you. Why do you cry?**_

"No one likes me," she said, lip trembling and nose dripping.

_**Why do they not like you?**_

"I-I don't know," she whispered, before a fresh sob escaped from her burning throat.

_**Shush, little one; you should not cry.**_

"But why?" she asked.

_**Because crying only hurts you. Crying achieves nothing.**_

The child shuddered as she repressed another sob, her blue eyes watering. Maybe this thing was right. Instead, she sniffed, telling herself that sniffing wasn't the same as crying.

_**Now, why are you **_**really ****_sad?_**

"...Everybody hates me."

_**Oh, I'm sure not everyone hates you…**_

"Yes, they do," she said, her strained voice accented by her unshed tears.

_**Does someone love you? Anyone at all?**_

"No."

_**That's very sad. So very, very sad...**_

The girl had a confused look on her face. "Who are you?"

_**I am the pain that you and countless others feel, child. I am...everything.**_

"What?"

She could hear the voice sighing. **I am whoever you wish me to be, dear child.**

"But...where are you?" the child said, looking around again. "I don't see you anywhere."

_**Do you believe I'm real?**_

"Well, yes. Of course, you're real. How else could I be talking to you?"

_**You should be able to see me, then.**_

The child squinted her eyes, lips twisting up in a scowl as sweat beaded on her face.

"Oh, there you are."

_**Do I appear as you thought I would?**_

"A little bit. I thought you'd be taller, like Daddy."

_**Am I not?**_

"Oh! Now you are!" the child said, happily.

_**Now you see, child? I am whoever you wish to be.**_

"Are you gonna leave me, too?"

_**What do you mean?**_

"Are you gonna leave me, too? Like Mama did, after Daddy went to sleep."

_**Of course not.**_

"Really?" Joy shone through her bright blue eyes.

_**Yes. I'll always be here for you.**_

"Promise?"

_**Promise.**_

"That's nice..."

_**It is. I've never had a friend as nice as you before.**_

"Me neither. I've never had a real friend."

_**I can be your best friend.**_

"Really?" she asked, trying valiantly not to let her hope rise.

_**Really.**_

"Yay!" she yelled, jumping up and down in a childish act of joy.

_**You certainly are a joyful one.**_

"Not really. But we're best friends now, so I can always be happy."

_**You really think so?**_

"Yes."

_**Well, since we're best friends, tell me more about you.**_

"Me?"

_**Of course.**_

"Well, OK. My name is Sunny."

_**Sunny is a nice name.**_

"I guess," she said.

_**Do you like it?**_

"Not really. I think something dealing with night would be a better name," she smiled slightly at this.

_**I like nighttime, too.**_

"Yeah, you can hide from everybody, and no one will know you're even there! They can't hurt you or anything!"

_**I'll make sure no one ever hurts you, Sunny. I'll always, ah, protect you.**_

"Really? Thanks!"

_**We are best friends, after all.**_

"Hey. What's your name?"

_**Whatever you wish it to be, Sunny.**_

* * *

_****_**This story has been right at the tip of my fingers ever since I watched the Avengers and will hopefully succeed or surpass expectations. And later chapters will DEFINITELY not be like this, just to let you guys know.**

**Also, no, I do not own the Avengers. :)**

**-Vice or Virtue**


	2. Graduation Day

Bright blue eyes scanned the area surrounding the field, scrutinizing the young adults running about and yelling, releasing pent up energy from the last minute practice routine. The fingers curled around the chain mail of the fence had long since gone numb from gripping the wire so hard.

_**They're disgusting, aren't they?**_

"They're not disgusting," she said, eyes still squinting at the scene before her.

_**I believe you're wrong.**_

"They're no worse than I am. In fact, they're even better than me."

_**Then why do they ignore you?**_

She sighed, knowing where the conversation was heading. "Maybe because I've always ignored them. You know, so you don't _hurt_ them."

_**Aw, do you really think that? You know I only do the things I do to **_**protect **_**you from abuse. Physical and verbal included. You would think that such behavior would have left them at this age...**_

Sunny didn't offer a reply, instead choosing to rock back and forth on her heels.

_**Well, there is only one more day of this, little one.**_

"I'm not little," she said scowling, "and why would you care about graduation? You never did before."

_**Fun things are going to happen. So, so many fun things...**_

She frowned, knowing the "fun" that he predicted wouldn't be fun at all, at least for her. His humor and games were never fun, but she had long since accepted that she couldn't change what he had planned for her.

"Hey, Night?"

_**And she asks a question! What is it?**_

She rolled her eyes, smiling at his change in mood. "You'll still be with me afterwards...right?"

_**Why, of course. Besides, you would have a hard time without me. Just imagine you trying to cook a decent meal!**_

He was right, she realized, despite his sarcastic tone. She had grown to depend on him, seeking his advice whenever she didn't understand something, whenever she needed to be controlled. It was nearly impossible to think of how life would have been without him there to guide her.

She had been such a lonely child before Night came and took up residence in her mind. He taught her things that had ought to have been impossible, but the time, she was a simple, stupid child. She didn't realize that what she was doing was abnormal. She didn't realize that it was dangerous.

And despite all these things, Night was still her best friend. He had no other name, only Night. In a way, he looked like her late father, maybe because her happiest memories centered around him. Tall, with dark hair and tired eyes, always taking medicine…

_**Ah, Sunny?**_

"Hm? What is it?"

_**Are you worried?**_

"About what?" she asked, confused.

_**Oh, just the fact that you're graduating.**_

She thought for a moment. Was she really worried?

"No," she said, "not at all." She watched one of her old classmate's throw a football. "All I have to do is wait to be called, grab my diploma, and leave. That's nothing to be worried about."

_**Most would be worried about it. That's only because they don't know what to expect in the real world.**_

Sunny smiled at the hidden compliment. It wasn't often that Night gave one, but perhaps he felt that it was an early graduation gift.

"Um, Miss Nowland?"

The teenager whirled around, to face the woman behind her.

"Yes, Mrs. Crenshaw? How may I help you?" she inquired, beaming up at her.

Mrs. Crenshaw was an old woman, which was made even more obvious as she scrunched her brows together. "Who exactly were you talking to?" she curiously asked.

Sunny smiled up at the furrowed face of the counselor. "No one, ma'am."

Mrs. Crenshaw stepped a bit closer to her. "Sweetheart, maybe you should go and try to talk to some of the others. I know that you don't often talk to people, but it can't be healthy to be so quiet all the time..."

Her hands twisted behind her back as she fixed an innocent smile across her face. "I like being by myself," she flatly replied.

The counselor's eyebrows crept up, almost as though she was actually surprised by her response, but went away as usual.

Sunny kept smiling until she was out of sight.

_**Idiot.**_

"She was just worried, Night. A normal reaction."

_**I disagree. She just enjoys antagonizing you about the same thing repeatedly.**_

"Ah, point taken."

Night mumbled, most of which Sunny interpreted as disgust at Mrs. Crenshaw's "masculinity".

_**She does look like she's getting a bit of stubble, you know.**_

"Night!" she squeaked, trying not to laugh. She tried so hard not to join in on his teasing, especially when it came to Mrs. Crenshaw. '_But she's just so easy to tease_', she lamented, trying to imagine her counselor in a biker gang.

It wasn't that hard.

* * *

"...of 2012 succeed!"

Excited shouts filled the air, all either joyous or frightened of the transition into adulthood. Sunny fiddled with her cap, resting her head with her free hand.

_**Oh, oh, oh! They never did call your name, did they?**_

She huffed, blowing a loose strand of brown hair away. She just _knew _that this was part of the "fun" that Night mentioned the day before.

_**Sunny? Sunny, Sunny, Sunny-.**_

"I know they didn't call my name, Night!" she whisper-yelled. She really wished he didn't talk to her when other people were around. It made it all the more difficult to keep his presence a secret.

Night had once told her that no one was to know he existed, at least, not without his permission. When she asked why, he had simply told her that someone her age wasn't supposed to have an imaginary friend. Sunny shrugged it off, though she sometimes wondered why he said it.

After all, Night was in no way imaginary. He was as real as rain and as real as the people who were unlucky enough to forget an umbrella. All in all, Night was confusing. He was a friend though, and friends didn't ask questions.

_**Just to let you know: everyone is leaving. Well, except for that one mysterious and totally not suspicious guy over there.**_

She gazed where he was pointing, seeing the man he was talking about. With it being graduation night, the guy probably could have blended in. Except for the fact that he was wearing sunglasses, even though night had long since fallen.

_**Kind of an odd fella', don't you think? Why don't you, ah, go talk to him?**_

She hesitated. Did she really want to get wrapped up in another of Night's games? "Do I have to? I mean I could just-"

_**It wasn't a suggestion, little one. Speak with him.**_

She frowned at him, but slowly stood from her seat. She hated it whenever Night got into these random moods, where he would be friendly one minute, and be morbidly playful the next.

Sunny walked short, quick steps towards the man, noticing more details as she got closer: brown hair, black suit and tie, and a small, metal suit case in his hand. All in all, the perfect FBI agent.

She faltered a bit as he looked up at her, but carried on towards him. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Night?" she whispered. "What if...what if he knows?"

_**That's the point, child. He **_**does **_**know. Not about me, but your other abilities.**_

_'What?' _She stood a few yards away from him, shock momentarily displaying across her face. _'But...but how?'_

"Miss Nowland?" She blankly looked up at the man. "My name is Phil Coulson. I'm sorry to say this, especially on your graduation night, but you'll have to come with me. It's a matter of," he chuckled, albeit disbelievingly, "life and death, for all mankind."

"Wait, what? What's going on?" she paused. "How did you find me?" she meant to ask in a loud, confident voice. A weak whisper came out instead.

_**Pathetic. What happened to Miss Number One?**_

"We're facing a potential global catastrophe. This," he opened his suit case, pulling out a folder, "is the device that may wipe out the planet." She looked at photo of the glowing cube, the word 'Tesseract' underneath it. "According to our research, your set of skills is definitely something that we could use.

"As for your other question: S.H.I.E.L.D.-Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division-has been watching you for quite some time, Miss Nowland, especially since that fiasco you pulled a few years ago."

_**Oh, they know about that? Shocking! But, are you surprised? See how fun this is turning out to be?**_

She was surprised. How did they find her? What would really happen if that cube blew up? And how did they even know about _that_? She had made sure that there was nothing around when she tried it out, no cameras, no chance of civilians.

So, how did they even know?

* * *

**Chapter one, done! And I get the feeling a few of you guys are scratching your head's and going, "Huh? What just happened?" **

**No need to worry! All shall be explained! So tune in next time for an episode of Dragonball G-*cough cough* um, The Devil Inside! That's totally what I meant .**

**Also, thanks to Honey-Bee128 for reviewing! I really appreciate it! :)**

**- Vice and Virtue**


End file.
